MovieMattepainting

jueves, 12 de mayo de 2016

That Lewis
Mileston Drama War film have many wonderful miniatures and matte paintings shots, as many
of the Sam Goldwyn films, with Clarence Slifer and Ray Binger credited for the Photographic
effects.
In praise of the impressive visual and artistic imagery on that film we shouldn't
forget the name of production designer William Cameron Menzies who is credited as
associate producer.

Matte
camera operator Clarence Slifer was head
of photographic effect unit at many films produced by David Oselznick during the 30´s and 40´s, but
also share his duties with Sam Goldwyn films.
Ray Binger was another special effects cinematographer who worked also very often for
Sam Goldwyn productions.

Although
there is not matte painter credited at "The North Star" Clarence Sliffer used to work frequently with the same group of artists as Jack Cosgrove , Albert
Simpson, Jack Shaw, and Fitch Fulton. I can only guess that the excellent
matte work on that films was made by some of those artist.

lunes, 21 de diciembre de 2015

There are
many iconic subjects that depict the art of matte paintings. Probably a castle or fortress on the top of a
hill could be the most popular. Apart from other all time matte subjects, the jumping
of a huge spectacular chasm has been without a doubt one of the frequent topic
under request for matte painters.

We’ve seen
people jumping gorges since the silent era. That’s a small overview of some of those
great exciting moments of magic on the screen.

1929Tide
of empireMGM.

Warren Newcombe
was working at MGM matte department since 1925, I guess he must be involved on
that shot. Maybe also Ferdinand Pinney Earle who was painting mattes for MGM
during the 20´S.

Produced by
Reliable Pictures Corporation, there is not VFX credit of any kind. And I don’t have any
idea who could have painted that.

1944. Ali Babá and the Forty thieves. Universal
Pictures

John Fulton
was credited as photographic effects. Russell Lawson was head of Universal
matte department at that time, and probably with John De Cuir as matte painter assistant.

1948. Man from Texas VFX Jack Rabin.

Jack Rabin
got credit as matte effects. That film is before he tamed up with Irving Block to supply VFX for low budget
films. Rabin worked in several FX
department from Selznick, Warner bros and T.C. Fox dong miniatures, opticals
and matte paintings. After joined
with Block, most of the matte painting
work was done by his partner.

1953.Rob
Roy: The highland Rogue. Disney production.

Matte paintings by Peter Ellenshaw made at Elstree Studios in London with Albert Whitlock as matte
assistant.

1954 . Passion.
RKO. Pictures

No FX
credit but probably Albert Maxwell Simpson, who was working for RKO during
those years.

1957. Zorro rides into terror (TV series Zorro) Disney

Peter
Ellenshaw was in charge of the matte paintings.

1957. Zorro
secret passage (TV series Zorro) Disney

Again mattes by Peter Ellenshaw.

1962.Taras
Bulba. United artist .

Although it was Russell Lawson credited on that
film, and he was responsible for most of the matte paintings on that show, Albert
Whitclock was commissioned by Howard Anderson Company to execute the paintings for
the gorge horse jumping.

1964Cheyenne Autumn Warner. Bros

No FX credit
on that film, but probably the matte work was by Lou Lichtenfield head
of matte paintings at Warner Studios.

1972. Evil Roy
Slade Universal Pictures

Albert Whitlock credited as head of matte department at Universal Studios.

Ned Mann was
an all around FX supervisor but mostly his work was involved with
miniatures. I assume some of the above images are hanging miniatures because
Ned Mann used to work with expert miniature

maker Ross Jacklin.

When Ned Mann went to England hired by Alexander Korda to supervise FX for his films, he took Jacklin with him to make foreground miniatures for The Things to
come.

British Opical effects master Tom Howard talks
about Nedd Mann miniature effect at he book
"Movie Magic. The story of
special effects in the cinema."

By John
Brosnan.

“Mann's team of Americans included a famous
miniature hanger called Ross Jacklin, whose one skill was to build foreground
miniatures which you could pan and tilt a camera over yet still keep them
married into a full-size set”

Conrad Tritschler is one of those old time
matte painters from the silent era whose work remains almost unknown. He was a British scenic and backdrop painter
for Stage Theatre. He moved to USA
at 1923 to work for Richard Walton Tully productions on films like Trilby (1923)
and Flowing Gold (1924) where he painted
sets and backdrops.

Sometime during the late twenties and early
thirties he went to work for Howard Anderson Company to execute glass and matte
paintings on films like White Zombie (1932) or The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
He died in London
at 1939.

martes, 26 de mayo de 2015

It exist such small information about VFX and
matte artist Darrell A. Anderson that trying to get sign of his works it is
almost a guess game. And mostly this is
what I’m doing here, guessing.

Those are the facts I know about Darrel A.
Anderson.

Born in California, 1933, the son of Howard Alvin Anderson, and brother of Howard Andrew Anderson. His father founded Howard Anderson Special Photographic Effects Company around 1927. Both brothers joined his father company providing opticals, titles, mattes, and miniatures. Darrell became matte artist and cinematographer. The Howard A. Anderson Company worked extensively for TV series during the 60´s and 70´s. Most of Darrell’s work remain uncredited.

The list
of titles credited for Howard Anderson Company is huge, and I can imagine Darrell
worked on most of titles especially from the 50´s to 70´s.

The Anderson Company's work on
Star Trek was nominated for an Emmy Award twice (both times together with other
companies providing effects for Star Trek): In 1967 Darrell Anderson was
nominated for Individual Achievements in Cinematography, together with Dunn and
Joseph Westheimer and in 1969 the company was nominated for Special
Classification Achievements together with the Westheimer Company, Van der Veer
Photo Effects and Cinema Research.

If
someone can enlighten me with more information about him, please go ahead and
make my day.

And now let’s go try to find the matte painting
work of Darrell Anderson. As I am looking over the Anderson Company, I will
also show some matte paintings made by them before Darrell Anderson. In fact
Howard Anderson Senior is credited as matte painter at IMDB on four films on
the 40´S. I’m not sure if Anderson senior was the
painter himself or if he hired a matte painter and he was responsible for the
shots.

On of those films is Dangerous passage (1944)
that was a Pine-Thomas production. William H, Pine and William C Thomas created
that prolific B-Movie production company working for Paramount Pictures from
1940 to 1957. From 1957 they moved to United Artist. It was during the first
period when Howard Anderson Company provided VFX for many of their films. Most of his work was uncredited as the miniature
and mattes for Dangerous passage.

Small set of the ship’s hull wit the actor hanging between two matte paintings with the matted in ocean.

Cloudy sky painting.

Miniature ship on dangerous passage.

Another film
on witch Howard Anderson Senior is credited as matte painter at IMDB is Captain
Kidd. On the film credits is only Lee
Zavitz for special effects.

There are some miniatures shots of sailing
ships.

Composite of ships on a map, an aLondon harbour view, probably a miniature with painted elements.

Tripoli (1950) was Pine-Thomas production
starred by John Payne as many of their adventure and western films. This time Darrel Anderson is credited
alongside with Alex Weldon for special effects. Weldon worked very often with
Howard Anderson before going to Spain
to supervise FX work for many of the big pictures filmed in Europe
during the 60´s and 70´s. He should be in charge of pyrotechnics and mechanical
effects.

If the born date is correct, 1933, he must be
very young when joined his father VFX Company. He was first credited at 195o
film Tripoli,
at the age of 17 years. Pretty young for a matte painter!!!!

Miniatures ships and models probably by Weldon. The last one with a matte painting of a bowsprit.

Matte paintings by Darrel Anderson.

Captain China 1950 was a Pine –Thomas
production, again starred by John Payne with Alex Weldon credited as Special
effects. This time here is not any Anderson
credited.

But there are a couple of matte paintings on
Captain China.
I guess probably by Darrell Anderson.

The right section of the ship is a matte
panting. You can see the separation line
on the gangway handrail.

Two more Pyne -Thomas productions. Pirate adventures Caribbean
(1952) with two small matte paintings

And the western The eagle and the hawk (1950)
featuring many matte paintings that I guess were painted by Darrell Anderson

Howard Anderson Company was frequently
contributor on Edward Small production films. Sometimes credited and some other
uncredited.

For The Corsican brother (1941) they were in
charge of photographic effects (credited) and a couple of matte paintings that
were probably executed by the same artist that used to work on the other Howard
Anderson films.

Another Edward Small film is Cagliostro; Black
magic (1949) with two wonderful matte paintings. This time there is not FX
credited so, I cannot be not sure Howard Anderson was in charge of those
mattes.

Last year I showed some matte paintings from
the Edward Small film Timbuktu
(1959) Again there was not FX credited but if it was under Howard Anderson
Company probably were painted by Darrel Anderson.

At Invasion of the saucer Men (1957) Special
effects were credited to Howard Anderson and Alex Weldon.

The Martian creatures were made by FX sculptor Paul
Blaisdell

Howard Anderson and Alex Weldon were in charge
of miniature saucers.

There are not matte paintings on that film,
just some painted backings for model shots.

Another Sci-Fi film 12 to the moon (1960)
produced by Columbia
pictures. Howard Anderson company
credited for special photographic effects. There are many planet earth vies
from the space.

Miniature rocket ship.

Mate paintings were used to show some aerial
vies of frozen cities.

For the
western remake of Gunga Din Sergeants 3 (1962) Howard Anderson Company was in
charge of photographic effects with two matte paintings. Probably by Darrel
Anderson

The Howard Anderson company was overactive on
the filed of TV series. Most celebrated by the Star Trek (1966-69) photographic
effects. A far as I know, they hired Albert Whitlock to make the matte
paintings.

The Anderson Company were also responsible for
some matte paintings for another legendary
TV series The untouchables (1959-63)
Again I cannot be sure but I can
assume it was the work of Darrel Anderson.